We tried everything to find the farang tourists in alleged watch theft case at Doi Suthep, say police

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We tried everything to find the farang tourists in alleged watch theft case at Doi Suthep, say police

 

Image: Sanook

 

CHIANG MAI: -- Police in the now infamous alleged theft of a watch by Hmong children at Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai said they tried everything to find the tourists involved but could not locate them.

 

The story hit world headlines after children posing for pictures in hill tribe costumes were said to have stolen the watch from a British tourist, reports Sanook.

 

They protested their innocence and the Facebook page of the tourists has been shut down after the controversy. Police said there is no evidence of theft at all.

 

Thada Thitapanya of the Phing Ratchaniwet police said that every effort had been made to find the tourists and CCTV had been looked at in thorough detail to get to the bottom of the case.

 

The problem is that CCTV only went back 15 days and it was not known when the tourists came into the country so tracing them proved difficult.

 

Thada said that he was most concerned about the well being of the children in the case. Their parents were welcome to come in and make a complaint about the foreign media, he added.

 

He would not comment on reports that the tourists had found the watch in question as he had no details of this.

 

But he did say that police doubt the veracity of their claim of theft saying that normally tourists who had suffered theft in such a manner would report to police. No such report had ever been received.

 

It was reported last week that Hmong children and their families who liked to earn money posing with tourists at Doi Suthep have been staying away following the case.

 

Source:  Sanook

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-10-05

[Saraphee]

I wonder if they tried contacting the Daily Mail?

[Chicog]

Should have installed that tracking chip in their skulls when they arrived at Swampy.

[taichiplanet]

the Daily Mail in a follow-up article names the Reddit account where the pic was posted, but that account has now been deleted. It is a clear photo of the 'victim' surely the police facial recognition software should match to an immigration photo, or have i watched too much CSI!

 

Just another example of why tourists in Thailand should have SIM cards or ankle braclets so they can be tracked!!

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3811462/I-didn-t-watch-want-come-visit-Thai-girls-adorable-pickpocket-storm-say-INNOCENT-plead-tourist-victim-come-forward.html

Edited October 5, 2016 by taichiplanet

[colinneil]

We tried everything to find the farang tourists  

We looked all around the police station, could not find them.

Just another piece of bu.....t.

[Borzandy]

So police can't charge farang for bashing Thailand.

[whatproblem]

Not all tourist report crime to police in Thailand ,most know it's a waste of time unless you pay 

[maoro2013]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

We tried everything to find the farang tourists  

We looked all around the police station, could not find them.

Just another piece of bu.....t.

I agree. All tourists and other expatriates whereabouts are continually reported. If they can dissappear the system is a joke. Apparently they know the Facebook page was shutdown sounds like a load of crap to me.

[KKr]

2 hours ago, Chicog said:

Should have installed that tracking chip in their skulls when they arrived at Swampy.

Makes sense, provided the chip has a A.I.-brain on it.

[Graemej100]

I am still trying to find out if the watch WAS stolen. Nobody, but nobody has reported it stolen! Why all the conjecture from the armchair detectives. Until the crime is reported there is no crime. 

Let it go! There are far more important things to care about. Maybe the children in Allepo?

[IAMHERE]

2 hours ago, Borzandy said:

So police can't charge farang for bashing Thailand.

bashing heck; this is a clear cut case of defamation.

[Khun Paul]

If my memory srves me correctly, I seem to remember they did not know it had been stolen until they viewed the photographs after they had gone back home, so no-way could the police have found them. if they had read the original complaint which was well published they would realise that.

[impulse]

Wouldn't it be a shame if a prankster found someone else's vacation photos on the interweb and concocted an entire racist narrative around one of them?

 

Then the poor lady in the photo gets arrested for defamation?

 

More holes than Swiss Cheese in this debacle.  And now, the poor lady would be best advised that it's not safe to show her face in Thailand.

Edited October 5, 2016 by impulse

[elgordo38]

2 hours ago, whatproblem said:

Not all tourist report crime to police in Thailand ,most know it's a waste of time unless you pay 

unless you pay installments till the crime is solved.

[SOTIRIOS]

...just pretend it never happened....

 

...like all other crimes against foreigners.....

 

 

***breaking news***

 

...foreigner's watch found to have committed suicide at a local pawn shop.....

 

 

*** which reminds me...I had a whole shipping container of my possessions disappear in 'the wife's' hometown......

 

.....nobody saw or knew anything....so it must not have happened......

 

...duhh.....

 

...some are really psycho blood-sucking savages.....

 

 

 

 

[joskeshake]

the lady already admiddet she was drunk when she not found the watch,and now she found it back,closed here facebook account.This was all in the news in belgium.

 

[sanemax]

There is ONLY one person who knows for sure whether the girl stole that watch and that is the girl herself .

   Who cares anyway , whether she did or not

[smew]

guilty as charged, all of them

[Khon Kaen Dave]

"We tried everything to find them",said the cop whilst checking the time on his new watch!

[DogNo1]

Could you please post a translation of the piece in the Belgian newspaper?

 

In my experience, many people are not aware of the amount of theft that goes on around the world.  My father was an MP in the US Army.  When various of my possessions and money went missing over the years, he was able to finger the culprits who were various friends and acquaintances.  I was amazed that people whom I had never suspected could be thieves.  It is much more comfortable psychologically to be trusting than suspicious and most people whom I know don't like to think about the true amount of theft that goes on.

 

Perhaps trusting posters would like to open an account at the Wells Fargo Bank.  

[Shatian]

I think it was posted by the lady and her friend or husband that the watch was of little value. So even if they were still in THailand or knew it in Thailand, they wouldn't have reported it to the police because it was not worht the pains due to the low cost of the watch. Many posters here confirmed of similar thefts by those same kids. So what are police making this too much noise as if those kids are angels???????